Reclaimed
by Padfoot Reincarnated
Summary: ObiWan raises Luke and Leia on Tatooine. Ten years to the day after the fall of the Empire, things go horribly wrong and their peaceful existence is shattered forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not making any money off of this thing. That goes for the whole story. **

**Story Summary: Obi-Wan volunteers to raise Luke and Leia. It's more than he bargains for, but he manages alright—until Darth Vader discovers them.**

**Chapter Summary: A brief look at some parts of the twins' relationship with Obi-Wan before the story really starts. This is just an establishing chapter so you are all clear on how it is with those three before good ole Darth shows up. **

**A/N: Alright guys, I haven't written in this fandom for ages, so if it's not that great don't kill me. I think I've gotten better since the last story I published here in Star Wars. At least I really think this one is better than the other Star Wars story I wrote.I have the first three chapters written so updates should come fast.**

**Prologue**

Leia Skywalker was screaming her lungs out and Obi-Wan Kenobi was terrified.

He gingerly opened one eyes, and then the other. His hand automatically flew to the small shelf beside his cot to find his lightsaber. He was out of his room and in the hallway within three seconds of Leia's first wails.

What in the galaxy was wrong? He didn't even know babies _could _scream that loud.

He hesitated in the doorway to the twins' room, lightsaber at the ready. It was odd…somehow he couldn't see or sense anyone but the twins in the room.

As he crept closer to his deafening charge, a terrible odor wafted up his nose.

Oh. She only needed her diaper changed.

Again.

That was the last time he bought _that_ brand of baby food.

Obi-Wan sighed wearily and plucked the tiny infant from her crib.

"There, there," he said soothingly as he carried her out of the room. "Leia, please, settle down, you'll wake Luke."

He flicked on the light and met his own gaze in the mirror. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, he was unshaven, and his hair was flying in all directions. Quite simply, he appeared frazzled.

Obi-Wan pinched his nose and prepared to change his third diaper of the night.

* * *

As so many things do, it had _seemed_ like a good idea at the time—he'd blanched at the thought of Anakin's children being sent to live on some unknown planet, far away from each other and any fragment of the life they might have had. It had saddened him horribly to picture them never knowing, never learning anything about their history. 

And so he'd spoken up.

"I'll take them, Master," he'd suggested hesitantly to Yoda. And then, noticing Bail Organa look as if he wanted to say something, he'd continued babbling for ages—probably something embarrassing, luckily by this point he didn't even remember what he'd said.

And Yoda had agreed. "Take them you may, young Obi-Wan," he'd said.

Obi-Wan's first reaction was shock. It hadn't lasted long, of course. Two burping, screaming, smelly babies were hard to ignore.

It had also seemed like a good idea at the time to raise the children on Tatooine. Where, after all, would Anakin hate most to go? Where would he be least likely to find them?

He hadn't remembered the miserable heat, the way the sand got everywhere and scratched him and how if he went outside at all he'd come back looking like a lobster who'd been hammered with a tomato. He hadn't remembered the way his mouth dried out so fast and how he'd have to travel sixty miles to a rather seedy part of town—with the twins—every time he wanted supplies or food.

And sometimes, when he woke up for the sixteenth time in one night to comfort a baby for no apparent reason, he wanted to contact Yoda and beg him to take the babies back. Anything, anything to get himself a decent night's sleep. That's all he wanted. Peace and quiet. He'd had noise enough to last him a lifetime.

But there were, of course, little moments that made it all worthwhile. Luke had learned to smile a few months earlier, and every time he did it Obi-Wan could only see Anakin. And Leia was like her mother, smaller and darker and beautiful.

And then Obi-Wan wouldn't have given them back for anything.

* * *

Contrary to his expectations, things grew even more difficult as they learned how to talk. Unfortunately, if Anakin was any indicator, the teenage years were sure to be the worse—and those were yet to come. 

They didn't have a holovision, and no one lived close enough to visit, but Obi-Wan read them enough books for them to know that most children had a mother and a father. Obi-Wan was scared the first time Luke asked him why they only had a daddy. He'd had no idea what to say.

In the end he'd told part of the truth. He'd held them both and told them of what good people their parents were, and how much they'd loved their children. And he'd even told them a bit more.

Obi-Wan told them how much he had wanted them as his very own children, and how much he loved them. He'd told them that the reason they never talked to anyone was because they were hiding from a very bad man.

And later on, when Leia had asked him how her mommy and daddy had fallen in love, he'd told her that, too. It had been like a fairy tale, and she'd loved it. A Knight and a Queen.

They knew everything but the ending.

* * *

When Leia was four years old she began having nightmares. 

It happened nearly every night. Sometimes Obi-Wan would hear her screaming and hurry to the twins' room to wake her up. It was terrible to watch her writhing on the bed and screaming.

Like her father.

And sometimes it would take ages to wake her, no matter what he did. Sometimes he didn't manage to wake her at all, and he was forced to watch her shriek in horror for what felt like forever before her breathing slowed and she returned to semi-peaceful sleep. He could never make himself leave while she was trapped in her hellish dreams. And she would never speak of them while she was awake.

Sometimes she didn't even scream, and sometimes she was able to wake herself. These nights she would glide to Obi-Wan's room down the hall, and _she _would wake him. He would hold her and hug her and chase her nightmares away—more than he'd ever been able to do for Anakin.

She would curl up beside him, and he would never be able to sleep until he heard her breath grow heavy with sleep and felt her tiny muscles relax. Only then did he allow himself to sleep as well.

The only nightmares he ever had were of Anakin.

* * *

Luke had never had nightmares. Not as a four year old, not as a five year old. When he was six, he dreamed of his mother, but he didn't know that it was her. 

He was anxious to tell someone, but Leia had woken up screaming again last night, and she and Obi-Wan were still asleep. Obi-Wan woke up only about an hour after Luke, but Leia was still asleep. Luke felt slightly guilty about how happy he was that his sister was so exhausted from her nighttime episode—he felt never got any time alone with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan poured them each a bowl of cereal, and sat cross-legged on opposite sides of their low table. Obi-Wan stirred his cereal with his spoon, staring off at something Luke couldn't see. Luke worked methodically at his own cereal, carefully spooning identical sized bites into his mouth until he decided that Obi-Wan had taken enough quiet time.

"I had a dream last night," he said matter-of-factly.

Obi-Wan finally looked at him, concerned. "What? Why didn't you wake me up? I wouldn't have been mad." Obi-Wan stifled a yawn and attempted to shake off the fog of sleep.

"It wasn't like Leia's kind of dream," he said importantly. "It was happy. But Leia woke me up from it."

"Oh." Obi-Wan relaxed considerably.

Realizing he was loosing Obi-Wan's attention, Luke said, "There was a lady who looked like Leia grown up and she talked to me."

"Hmm. That's nice."

"She said shewas named Padme. I know her," Luke continued, glancing up at Obi-Wan's face.

Obi-Wan stared at him rigidly, hands trembling. "It was happy?"

"Uh-huh."

Obi-Wan stood abruptly, turning away as he went. He poured out his nearly full bowl of cereal and walked away.

* * *

Obi-Wan knew it was wrong to avoid Luke. Luke was a child, Luke had done nothing, and it was his job to care for Luke. 

But Luke at nine years old looked like Anakin. He talked like Anakin, and his mannerisms were of Anakin.

And Obi-Wan hated to be around him.

Leia looked nothing like her father. She had dark hair and dark eyes. She sounded like Padme when she spoke.

But she laughed like Anakin. She smiled like Anakin, and she cocked her head at Obi-Wan's jokes in exactly the same way that Anakin did.

Obi-Wan pretended not to see it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Hey, people, here's the next chapter. Shame on all ye who have this on your alert list and didn't review.**

Jedi, as a rule, rarely celebrated birthdays. Obi-Wan had always done little things for Anakin on his birthdays, carried out small rituals the child had brought from Tatooine.

Obi-Wan was no longer a Jedi, but had kept most of the customs he'd developed over the years. On the twins' tenth birthday, neither of them expected gifts.

Even former Jedi can change their habits, sometimes.

When Luke woke that morning, he was surprised to find Obi-Wan already awake. A bowl of cereal was set down at each of their typical places. All that was needed was milk.

"Good morning, Luke," Obi-Wan said, smiling at him through tired eyes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh-huh," Luke confirmed, pouring a stream of milk onto his cereal.

"Is your sister awake yet?"

"I don't know. I don't think so," Luke replied.

"Ah. Well, when she does wake up, I have something for you both," Obi-Wan told him, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Luke stared at his guardian for a moment, mouth hanging open. Naturally, he then proceeded to set a record with how fast he ate his cereal and woke Leia.

Leia was still yawning as her brother tugged her into the kitchen ten minutes later. She sat down by her bowl of cereal and laid her head on her arms, closing her eyes.

Luke poked her. "Leia, hurry up. Eat. Slowpoke. Don't you want to see what we got?"

"Mmm…I'm tired…leave me alone…"

"Luke, leave your sister alone," Obi-Wan commanded. "I'll just bring it in here."

Luke glared at Obi-Wan's retreating back, and didn't say anything.

"Wake up, Leia," Luke told his sister, annoyed. "Come on."

"Didn't get much sleep last night. Tired."

Giving up, Luke stood and waited for Obi-Wan.

He didn't have long to wait. Obi-Wan returned from his bedroom minutes later, holding two small packages and with a small bag slung around his shoulder. "Alright," he said, "Here they are."

Luke tugged his from Obi-Wan's hands and ripped the brown paper from it. "Um, neat," he said, rather unenthusiastically, his face falling as he examined his gift. "What is it?"

Obi-Wan laughed and gently pulled it from his charge's hands. "It's a commlink," he said, fiddling with a few knobs along the side. "You talk into it and and the person on the other end can hear you, no matter how far away they are."

Luke perked up slightly. "That's pretty cool. Does that mean Leia and I don't have to go with you to Mos Eisley any more?"

"That's why I got them," Obi-Wan said, "I know how much you hate going with me."

"I don't hate going with you," Leia said suddenly, standing and ambling towards her brother and Obi-Wan. "Can I see mine?"

Obi-Wan handed the second package to her, and she carefully peeled away the tape and unfolded the paper. "Thanks," she said, sending him a genuine smile. "Do you have one too?"

"Yes, I do. Hand me your so I can set the frequency to match mine."

Leia complied, and after a few seconds, Obi-Wan handed it back to her.

Luke had been sitting down on the clay floor examining his commlink. Suddenly, he turned to Obi-Wan. "Who did you talk to on yours before you got us some?" he asked hurriedly.

"No one in particular," Obi-Wan said lightly.

Leia glanced over her shoulder at her brother with widened eyes. "_Shut up,"_ she mouthed. He rolled his eyes, but complied.

"What's in the bag?" Luke asked, partly to annoy Leia.

"That's the other part of your present," Obi-Wan told them. "I've bought a holovision. You can watch things on it—people and stories and things like that. I think you'll find it interesting."

He pulled it out and flicked it on, placing it on a table. "There. You're all set up for the day now. I have to go in for supplies now."

"What?" Leia asked, startled, "Already? But it's our birthday!"

"I know," Obi-Wan said apologetically, "And I'm sorry. But we really do need more supplies. You two are getting old enough to be home alone for a while. Just make sure to lock the doors and windows. You can watch holovision or something."

Leia looked downcast. "Okay," she said reluctantly.

"I don't know if I'll make it home tonight," Obi-Wan said, "But if you ever need me, you can get hold of me."

Leia threw her arms around him. "Be home soon please."

Luke mimed throwing-up just behind them.

And then he was gone.

* * *

For the last ten years, Darth Vader had relayed every piece of intelligence he received in any way, shape, or form directly to his Master.

He was quite sure that Palpatine had not done the same for him.

And so he felt very little guilt in not informing his master when he discovered the location of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with what he was certain was the child of Anakin Skywalker.

He had been fairly certain for some years that there _was _a child. Tremors in the force and a complete lack of death records at the facility where Padme had died had sparked his suspicions, and Kenobi's utter disappearance had fueled them.

Through his old enemy Jabba the Hutt, he had set up a bounty that would allow anyone with information leading to the capture of Kenobi. Apparently, someone in the Tatooinian town of Mos Eisley had noticed a man with a suspicious similarity to the old Clone Wars general coming into town for supplies on a fairly regular basis.

Kenobi was clever to have hidden for ten years. Even Vader, who loathed Kenobi, was willing to admit that.

But he wasn't nearly clever enough.

Vader was fully prepared to kill Kenobi at the first chance he got. Whatever he'd once thought of him, Kenobi was a liar, a traitor, and everything else that Vader hated.

Vader would relish his death.

* * *

Holovision was much more interesting than Luke had expected.

It had always seemed to Luke that most things that Obi-Wan found interesting were things that any sane person would run away from as quickly as possible. The man's favorite hobby was sitting on a mat with his eyes closed, for crying out loud! What exactly did that tell you about him?

But this—this was something Luke could appreciate. Why couldn't they have gotten one of these years ago?

He stared intently at the screen, mouth hanging open. A dragon crept up on the screen, slinking silently up behind a man. Closer…closer…

"Yes!"

The dragon snapped the man up in his mouth. Luke cheered as the man tried to get out, to no avail.

"And the dragon wins!"

Leia frowned. "Luke, that's gross. Let's change the channel."

"Huh? No way! This is cool."

"Luke, _change it!"_ Leia became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and swiped at the remote in her brother's hand. "_I won't watch it!_"

The twins tussled for the remote. Leia punched her brother's arm, and he dropped the remote. Leia snatched it up victoriously, and pushed the first button she found. The screen waved and turned to static before a picture finally began to emerge.

As it finally became clear, Leia froze instantly, her mouth hanging open and her face trembling. She backed up into the couch, covering her face with her hands, and wailed, a hushed sort of moaning.

Luke looked at her nervously. "Leia—Leia calm down—what's wrong?"

She screamed, and kept screaming, and Luke was scared. He touched her arm. "Calm down—wait—please, stop, Obi-Wan will be here soon—"

She was pointing at the holovision, and Luke sensed what was frightening her. He tugged the remote from her sweaty hand and began pressing buttons until the screen faded into black.

Leia shuddered and sobbed, clutching her knees to her chest. Luke hesitated, then put an arm around his sister.

He was terrified.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, voice trembling, "Do I need to call Obi-Wan?"

She shook her head furiously, wiping her eyes on her bare arm. She pushed her brother away harshly, and wouldn't look at him. "No. I'm fine. But—that man—that thing on the screen—you saw him, Luke?"

He nodded. He thought it had looked cool. It had been a shiny black robotic looking thing, raising its arms and giving some sort of speech.

"I know him," Leia sniffled, "I have nightmares about him. Every night, and he wants to kill Obi-Wan and everybody. He hates everybody."

"He's not real, Leia. It was just a dream," Luke tried to convince them both that it was true.

"He is. I know it. And last night he said he was coming for us, and he's there, in the holovision—he came."

Neither of them was brave enough to turn the holovision on after that, or even to leave the room alone. When they needed food or water, they were sure to go to the kitchen alone. They spent the rest of the day cuddled up on the couch, reading books and looking out the window for something that didn't come.

As birthdays go, it wasn't the best.

* * *

As a rule, Obi-Wan didn't believe in getting drunk. It made him loose control, he usually ended up doing something he regretted, and he could be sure he'd have a killer hangover in the morning.

Even former Jedi break rules, sometimes.

The twins tenth birthday was also the tenth anniversary of the day he'd lost Anakin. It was the tenth year since the Empire had been founded. It was ten years today since the creation of Darth Vader.

It was ten years ago that he had failed.

"Give me the strongest thing you've got."

Two hours later Obi-Wan had forgotten all about Anakin, the Empire, or the twins. His head was buzzing with unknown alcohol, and his vision was cloudy and blurred.

He stumbled to his feet, tripping into tables as he lurched across the bar. He was barely able to find the door, and as soon as he exited, he vomited into a suspicious looking puddle.

His throat and nose stung with acid.

Someone came up behind him. "Here. Let me help you," said a voice, sweet and strange and familiar all at once. A bottle of water was pressed into his hands. Obi-Wan fumbled with the cap until the stranger pulled it out of his hands and twisted it open. Obi-Wan turned it upside down and coughed down the drop or two that he managed to get into his mouth.

"Tanksh…don' usally get like thish…" Obi-Wan slurred, swaying on the spot. "Today just ish a dad bay." His eyes filled with tears. "I shouldnta got drunk, should I?" he sobbed. "Ish just thish ish the day ten—ten yearsh ago when I losht a lot a shtuff—you ever know a guy named Anakin?"

"No." The stranger was quick to reply. "I don't think you should drive yourself home tonight," the stranger said. "Come get in my speeder and I'll take you home."

"Hey, thatsh real—really nishe a you. Okay." Obi-Wan allowed himself to be lead to a speeder that was parked about one hundred meters from the bar.

Drunk, Obi-Wan allowed himself to talk and be human in a way he normally never was. This time was no exception.

"So, I wush jus' getting' drunk cause my—my kid Anakin I really messed thingsh up f—f'r him. Dinnit mean to…was a good kid. Good Jedi. Ever heard a Jedi? He wash really—really damn good…"

The stranger sat stiffly in the seat next to Obi-Wan. "If you could, please, I'd appreciate directions to your house."

"Yesh…yeah, a coursh…thish ish real nishe a you…"

And Obi-Wan gave him the directions.

And they were off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, thanks to those of you who reviewed. And may a plague fall upon those who have this on your alert list and don't review. I know who you are! Usual plea for reviews applies, especially constructive criticism.**

**Chapter 3**

Luke had drifted off to sleep about an hour ago, but at one in the morning, Leia was still awake. She was afraid to go to sleep.

Leia listened to every noise the house made. It was old, and shivered in the Tatooinian wind. Sand was flung against the windows, a desert symphony. These were sounds she had heard every night for as long as she could remember, but without Obi-Wan there, they suddenly seemed larger and more threatening, ready to swallow her if she made the slightest move.

Her throat leapt into her throat with relief when she heard a speeder approaching. Her eyes and head ached, her throat cracked and dry, and she wanted to go to sleep. She hurried to the door and threw it open. "Obi-Wan?" she asked, her voice hushed so as not to wake Luke.

As her eyes became adjusted to the light, and she could see, she screamed.

* * *

Ever since he'd received confirmation of the area Kenobi was living in two weeks ago, Vader himself had been living on Tatooine. He'd made his excuses to his master and taken a star-ship to Mos Eisley. He had clones and Imperial Soldiers stationed at different places Kenobi was known to frequent, under orders to contact him if the man was sighted.

It had paid off. Vader hadn't expected it to be so easy. Kenobi had gotten himself drunk, and had, of all things, willingly _told _Vader where to go. No coercion, no force, was necessary.

How disappointing.

Vader and Kenobi had arrived at Kenobi's house in record time. Vader had noticed, with some annoyance, that his former master hadn't bothered to complain about his reckless driving. Apparently he was too drunk to even notice. Or maybe he'd just stopped caring.

Kenobi lurched towards the door of the speeder. Vader grabbed his arm tightly. "Where do you think you're going?" Vader asked, a cruel smile curving up under his mask.

Kenobi's face was confused, his mouth hanging slightly open, as he stared at Vader. He tugged futilely at his arm.

With his free hand, Vader reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. He injected it into Kenobi just between his shoulder blades. Kenobi's blue eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell forward. Vader opened the speeder door, and Kenobi pitched headfirst into the sand. Vader exited on the other side and walked to his limp body. He drew back his foot and kicked Kenobi's face. His nose started bleeding, staining the sand a harsh crimson.

Vader kicked him, over and over. Neither of them ever made a sound.

The door opened, and a small girl peered out. "Obi-Wan?" she said.

Everything stopped.

Vader knew instantly that the child was his; her force signature gave her away. And she looked like Padme, everything about her. Her face, her eyes…if he had been able, he would have stopped breathing.

And then the child began screaming, and everything shattered back into reality.

The Padme-girl screamed, and began running towards them, Kenobi and Vader. She was there in seconds, leaving small footprints in the sand behind her. And she kneeled in the sand beside Kenobi, blood instantly staining her hands and white garments.

"Obi-Wan…Obi-Wan…" She was crying, sobbing his name over and over as she rolled his head over and shook his shoulders. Nothing happened. Kenobi's face was pale and cold.

Vader recognized an opportunity when he saw one. He reached down and grabbed the girl's shoulder, his claw-like hand digging into her flesh.

The girl hissed in pain and flinched away. She turned around, saw that it was he who was holding her.

She surprised him by wrenching herself away. She bolted towards the house, the light reflected off the sand giving her a soft, glowing feeling. She was white except for the black streaks of blood on her face and arms.

She slammed the door tightly and he heard the faint click of a lock.

Vader smirked. It was of no importance to him.

He was in no hurry.

* * *

The door slammed behind Leia, and she leaned against it for a second or two, eyes closed, breath shallow, and blood rushing through her veins so hard it hurt.

She felt frozen in place, and it took all the courage she had just to move. But once she began moving, she couldn't stop. She was by Luke in an instant, shaking him awake with trembling hands. "Luke—Luke, wake up, Luke, Luke!" He voice grew louder and higher as she spoke, until she was nearly shouting.

His eyes opened, and she wanted to sob with relief…but there was no time, no time…

"Come on, Luke, please."

And he sensed her agitation and didn't question her as she dragged him out of the room and to the hall closet. Leia pulled her brother to the very back of the tiny closet, pulling them both against the wall behind a row of old brown robes that she'd never seen anyone wear. They were just small enough that they could both fit underneath the bottom shelf.

A heavy thudding echoed down the hall.

"Leia, what's happening?" Luke was fully awake by then, and he was just as scared as his sister was.

"The Black Man from the holovision's here and I think he killed Obi-Wan," she whispered as quietly as she could. Her body shook with the pressure of holding back tears, and she clutched her brother's wrist painfully tight.

Luke felt the blood rush out of his head. He said nothing, just gripped his sister's hand.

The sound thumping stopped, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief. Leia pressed her forehead into Luke's hair.

Glass shattered, closer to them than the thumping had been. From the sound of it, the window in Obi-Wan's room had broken, barely fifteen feet away.

Silence. The twins didn't dare to do so much as breathe.

They were motionless for perhaps thirty seconds, waiting and holding their breath for any noise, and movement, anything.

Finally it came, what they'd been waiting for and dreading. Heavy footsteps closer and closer. They closed their eyes.

The door opened, throwing a stream of light into the closet.

"Come out. There is no need to hide."

Suddenly, it made perfect sense—he was right. There _wasn't _any need to hide, and Leia was confused as to why she was hiding at all…he was such a nice man…She crawled out, vaguely aware that Luke was at her side, his body pressed against hers.

The man's face was incapable of betraying any emotion, but Leia could tell that he was shocked. "Two," he breathed. "Padme…" She felt his surprise, and, dimly, in the back of her mind, considered taking advantage of it and bolting. She thought better of it, however, and sat perfectly still where she was, staring up at the man.

He bent down and took one of her hands in his and one of Luke's in his other. He pulled them gently to their feet. "Come with me," he said. Leia nodded automatically, not understanding why she'd ever been afraid. The stranger's voice was strange and persuasive, and Leia knew he could get her to follow him to the ends of the galaxy.

The three of them walked in unison to the door, and the man dropped her hand to open the door. She shivered to be alone, and was relieved when he took her hand again.

A stream of moonlight poured across the sand, illuminating a speeder. Out of the corner of her eye, Leia saw a black figure sprawled across the dunes. She tried to turn her head to get a better look, but the man jerked her so that she was looking straight of head. An ache began in the bottom of her stomach as she thought about it, a sick, nauseating pain. She knew it was something bad, but she couldn't remember what.

Luke didn't seem to have noticed anything.

There weren't enough seats in the landspeeder for all three of them. Leia was squashed uncomfortably between her brother and the window. She stared straight ahead, not even looking back at the only home she'd ever known.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Alright, here's chapter four. Read, enjoy, and review.**

Darth Vader was, to all appearances, the perfect Sith apprentice. He was skilled, both in the Force and with a lightsaber, he was rigidly disciplined, he rarely questioned orders anymore, and he appeared to have no intentions of overthrowing his master.

Perhaps Lord Sidious should have remembered, in all his reckonings, that deceit is part of the job description for a Sith.

Sidious was not, however, stupid. He knew enough to be suspicious when Vader claimed that he was leaving to quell a "potential rebel uprising" on Kashyyyk.

Punishment would be in order.

Vader did not remember the last time he had been around children. As a Jedi, they had been everywhere. You couldn't walk ten feet in the temple without tripping over one of them. They had admired him, he knew that much. He had talked to them, once in a while, even assisting with training for one class of younglings when Yoda was on a mission, once.

He had not spoken to a child since the day the temple was destroyed. He hated to look at them. Their faces all looked the same to him. Small and round-faced, naïve enough to ask their killers for help.

He was that killer. Many times, over and over, he had done so. It had stopped hurting him long ago. And when he killed, he was quick about it. He was never one for torture.

It didn't hurt them any more than it hurt him.

But he was in a speeder with two children, and the mind trick was wearing off. He could see it in the girl's restless movements, in the way the boy shot anxious looks at him through the fog that still hindered his movements.

Black and white. The world was much simpler that way. Easy and smooth. Vader hated shades of grey. And so he did not allow them to exist. The children would be trained in the dark side, or they would die. He had long accepted that before he set out.

If necessary, he would be the one to do it.

The boy looked like he had, so long ago.

Vader spared a moment to think of Kenobi. His body sprawled across the sand, limp and unmoving. Corpse-like. If Kenobi wasn't dead, he was certainly close to it. And all because he'd gotten drunk.

It didn't seem a fitting way for the last great Jedi warrior to die. Pathetic, the kind of death you could read about everyday in the news. Some homeless man who got into trouble would wander into some place he shouldn't, get tangled in something dangerous, and get killed.

Murder, plain and simple.

It was what Vader had been trained to do. It was what he had done everyday for the past ten years.

Yet somehow Kenobi's death had not given him the satisfaction he had counted on. He was left only with a sense of lack of closure.

The broken shell of Kenobi was lying dead, and with it, any chance to end things between them.

This was only thing that had truly rang true to Vader since Padme's death. Everything else passed him by, and though he heard it, and understood it, he never felt it.

This he felt.

"Damn you, Obi-Wan," he cursed under his breath, pressing harder on the gas so the speeder accelerated at what even he knew was a dangerous rate.

Kenobi had to take even his own death away from Vader.

Luke felt as if he was coming out of a fog. His eyes were heavy, and his mouth was dry. He rolled to his side slightly, and felt something cold.

His eyes snapped open, and he sat up painfully fast.

The Black Man was sitting no more than three inches away from him.

Luke's first reaction was decidedly unlike his sister's. He had never had a nightmare, never felt the cold terror of waking up in the night with nothing but darkness and the fear of the dreamworld surrounding you.

"Who are you?" he asked. Had he been fully awake, it is doubtful he would have ever found the courage to say anything. As it was, he was nearly half asleep and he hardly knew what he was saying. His tongue and tips were heavy and numb, almost moving without his consent. His hands trembled without his permission, shaking with a primal fear that he did not know to feel.

His eyes had closed again by this point, and he felt rather than saw the man turn to look at him.

The man's breath was like a sandstorm on Tatooine, terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Luke relished the hybrid of flesh and metal, feeling his own lungs sucked in at every inhale.

"My name is Darth Vader," the man said. A deep voice, as metallic as his breath, answered Luke. So different than Obi-Wan's gentle, lilting voice, one that rarely spoke to him at all. Stronger. More powerful.

"Why did you take us? Why aren't we home?" Luke wasn't sure anymore that what he was leaving was home, after all. He had Leia with him. That should be enough.

Vader had always been honest. Lying was for Jedi, with their shades of grey, their "sometimes right."

"Because you are mine," he said simply. "Kenobi stole you from me. You were never his. Now I am reclaiming you."

Luke nodded. So. This was it. "Will we ever see Obi-Wan again?"

Vader thought for a moment. "If he's alive." They were silent for a minute of so, and Luke was nearly asleep again when Vader asked, "Why aren't you afraid?"

"I don't know." He was honest as well, but not for the same reasons that Vader was.

This time, Luke did go to sleep. Vader glanced from the road every so often to look at him, but all he saw was the bloody stains on his daughter's white clothes and face. Her cheeks so pale as to be unnatural and the only color on her body aside from her pink lip and dark hair were red and brown streaks of blood.

She moaned in her sleep, fidgeting and crying out. Vader couldn't distinguish any of the words, but her fear filled the speeder and fogged his mind.

Soon it became full blown screaming. Luke, who was used to it, was able to continue his light sleep. Vader became more and more agitated. The girl rubbed at the bloodstains on her arm as she slept, tearing at her clothes where crimson liquid had spilled out from Kenobi's wounds. Her shrieks of panic were painful for Vader to listen to.

Usually he would kill someone in such a state.

He reached a hand behind the boy and grabbed her shoulder and shook her roughly. Her body jarred forward as the car slowed, and her mouth crashed into the dashboard and bled.

Her eyes opened and stared at him, but they were the glassy eyes of the unseeing. "Wake up!" he shouted, shaking her.

She blinked and she was awake. When she saw him, she stiffened and when quiet immediately. Her whole body shook, giant spasms of fear.

"Where's…Obi-Wan?" she managed to asked through chattering teeth, finally, "What did you do to him?"

"It is not your concern," Vader said sharply, relieved only that she'd stopped screaming.

She looked down as if seeing herself for the first time. "Whose blood is this?" she asked in a high pitched voice. "That's not my blood! That's not my blood! Why is there blood on me? Get it OFF! I want it _off!"_

She rubbed at her arms and cheeks until they turned raw. "It won't come out! I can't get it out!" She was hysterical by this point, tearing at her skin and tearing out her hair.

Vader reached over Luke and slapped her hard across the face. She was thrown back into the window. She was still for a moment before tears began to roll down her face. "I want to go home," she sobbed quietly. "I want to go home."

She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

About an hour after both of his children finally slept, Vader pulled the speeder up to his ship, the _Executor._ He lifted the children and transferred them to the new ship. It lifted off quietly, waking neither of them, and leaving only fake marks in the sand.

The most difficult part of his journey was only beginning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Here it is. The website hasn't been working for me, this is the first day I've been able to post things. Has that happened to anyone else? I haven't been able to reply to reviews, I'll try to catch up on that. Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter, I'll try to fix it, and hope you like this one!**

Vader left the children in the main cabin and told them to clean up before heading into the cockpit to set a course and contact Sidious.

His Master's face flickered onto the screen in static-y waves. Vader kneeled on the hard ground.

"Rise, Lord Vader." His Master's voice was harsh and commanding, not the sort to encourage friendship.

"Yes, my Master." Vader stood and spoke with his head bent respectfully. "I have quelled the rebellion."

"Shall I send in troops to aid you?"

"That won't be necessary. I've left a battalion here to look after things. I expect to retun within a day, if all goes well." Vader had always been a good liar.

"Good. I will be waiting. We have things to discuss."

Vader nodded and signed off. He sensed that one of the children was near, and he wasn't ready for Sidious to know what he'd done.

He sat down in the pilot's seat, flicking his glance over the monitor to ensure that everything was working, before swiveling to face the door.

It was the boy.

--------------------------

The cabin the man left them in wasn't the most pleasant of places. It was dark, without windows, and the smell was an awkward mix of mildew and cleaning fluid, as though someone had given a halfhearted attempt at making the room livable and abandoned the project halfway. But there was a shower, and a bed, and that was what was most important to Leia at that moment.

After they had both taken turns washing, Leia had begun sifting through cabinets and drawers to find clean clothes for them. She'd found two sets of black robes, clean but tent-like, and immediately pulled off her dress and slipped one set on.

She let out a final, exhausted shudder at the pile of wet fabric on the floor, before hurriedly turning away. She didn't want to look at it anymore.

Luke, meanwhile, had pulled on the other set of robes. In any other situation, Leia would have had to laugh at the ridiculous sight. Luke was nearly buried under the miles of cloth, his arms ending well below the bottom of the sleeves and an additional foot of material draped around his feet.

Luke scowled at her. "Don't. You look stupid, too."

Leia turned red and bit her lip, huffing angrily. "You're lucky I even found _anything _for us to wear."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He flopped onto the bed, closing his eyes.

Leia sat at the foot of the bed, clutching her knees to her chest. "Do you think Obi-Wan's okay?" she asked, a wobble barely detectable in her voice if you were looking for it.

Luke sat up. "I don't know. What actually happened to him?"

Leia looked at her hands. "That man kicked him a lot. That's all I saw. But there was a lot of blood."

"Well, he's probably okay if it was just kicking," Luke said, trying to sound reasonable.

"No, you didn't see it. It looked really bad." Her eyes darted to her brother as she spoke, looking for any sign of what he thought.

The twins were quiet, each occupied with their own thoughts. Leia tried not to think of the man who'd hurt Obi-Wan. She hated him, she hated him, hated him hated him! She scared herself with the terrible, awful well of loathing she felt towards him, catching in her throat and spilling out into shaking limbs and a dry mouth. She'd never wanted anyone to die before.

Eventually it overwhelmed her and she stood, kicked the bed, yelped with pain.

Luke watched her casually. "Where do you think Darth Vader is?" He asked once she'd calmed down.

Leia glared at him furiously, massaging her sore foot. "Who?"

"You know. The Black Man. He says his name is Darth Vader. And I want to go find him. I'm bored."

"You _what_? Are you stupid? We can't go anywhere near him. He probably wants to kill us!"

"No…I don't think he does, actually. I talked to him. I don't think he hates us. Obi-Wan must have done something to him. He just hates Obi-Wan. Not us."

Leia shook her head in disbelief. "How can you _say_ something like that? Obi-Wan would never do anything bad to anyone."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Luke asked her evenly.

"Because…because Obi-Wan is _good. _And I _know _that man is bad."

Luke looked as if he wanted to say something, but he just stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going to find him."

"Don't."

He turned and exited before she could do anything.

Leia thought about following him. She opened the door and watched his retreating back as he ambled away, appearing supremely calm. She couldn't be so calm. She remembered her nightmares and she remembered Obi-Wan lying still on the ground.

She curled up in a ball on the ground, her back against the door. She was perfectly still, hoping to hear her brother. She told herself that if he didn't come back soon, she would look for him. But she couldn't make herself.

She felt like a coward.

It wasn't something she'd ever felt before. At home, she was always the first to try something new, to speak up when something needed to be done. She was the first one Obi-Wan had taught how to drive, and she thought she was good—she loved going dangerously fast, and she wouldn't turn away from any obstacle until the last possible moment. Obi-Wan was scared when she drove, and he said she drove like her father, the Knight.

It made her proud.

And when she and Luke were playing outside, and they saw Jawas or Sand People from a distance, she was always more curious than frightened. Sometimes she was brave to the point of stupidity, like that time the Jawas had clubbed her and Obi-Wan had rescued her.

But the Black Man was different. She was afraid of him for more than the nightmares and Obi-Wan. This fear was part of her, and she knew, somehow, that if she'd never had the nightmares, she would still be just as afraid. He was somehow more enormous and more close to home than anything she'd ever seen.

She thought she remembered him from long ago, but she didn't know from where.

She didn't _want _to know from where.

-----------------------------------------------

Immediately after Obi-Wan Kenobi awoke, he wished he hadn't.

His face and hands were sticky with dried blood, his arm was throbbing, and his head felt as though someone had ripped it open at the seams.

"Nrgh…"

He managed to pull himself into a sitting position using his good arm. He spat out a mouthful of sand as he stumbled to his feet, unable to avoid moaning in pain.

What had he gotten himself into, now?

"Leia…Leia…? Luke?" He managed to call out for his charges, wincing at the raw ache in his throat.

No answer.

He closed his eyes and made his tottering way in what he hoped was the vague direction of the house. His arms were splayed in front of him, and he was rewarded when his fingertips brushed the hard clay that formed the walls. His hands skimmed the surface until he found the gap that indicated he was almost inside. The handle was hot and painful to touch as he opened the door and slid inside.

The dim light inside gave him enough confidence to open his eyes.

"Force…" he whispered.

"Leia? Luke! Leia!" The Force told him he was alone, and wishing otherwise didn't change the fact that he didn't receive an answer.

Drops of blood gave him a clear trail to follow, down the hall. He stopped several times to catch his breath, and every time he did his fear heightened.

As he turned the corner, leaning against the wall, he saw the closet door was open. Old robes and things he no longer needed but refused to throw away had fallen out. His bedroom door was open, as well.

Blood stains at the back of the closet.

He pivoted to see into his room and saw the window smashed in, glass shards strewn across his bed and floor like sand.

His hands trembled and his mouth was dry as he sunk to the floor.

He'd failed again.

Wait…no, he wasn't going to do this. Not this time.

His hands shook as he pulled his commlink out of his pocket. He set the frequency to match Leia's and connected.

She answered within seconds. Her face was pale, with dark circles under her eyes, and her hair looked oily and tangled.

"Leia," he sighed with relief, and felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off of his chest. "Leia, are you alright?"

Her face lit up with a tremendous smile, and her eyes shone with happiness. "Obi-Wan! I thought you were dead! Are you okay? I was so scared!"

"I'll live. How about you? Are you and Luke safe?"

"I don't know. The Black Man who beat you up got us and Luke's looking for him. I was scared," she added quietly, ashamed of herself.

Obi-Wan sat up, hissing in pain. "What? You don't mean Darth Vader, do you?"

"Um, I think so. Yeah. That's what Luke said. Obi-Wan, I'm scared."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath before allowing himself to speak again. "Alright, then. Stay calm. Don't do anything to upset him. Leia, now, this is very important: Do you think you can find out where you are for me? You'll need to talk to Vader."

"I don't think I can do that…" Leia said warily.

"Leia, I know you _can _do it. You're a very brave young lady, and I need you to do this for me so I can find you."

Leia nodded.

"Now, I need to go now, so I can see what I can do to help. Okay?" Obi-Wan kept his voice calm so that Leia wouldn't see how afraid he was.

"Bye."

"Goodbye, Leia."

He hung up reluctantly and peered inside the closet. He crawled towards the back, opening boxes until he found the right one.

It was a collection of things from his old Jedi days. He'd hidden it from the children, of fear that they'd find it and hurt themselves, but he'd also hidden it from himself—his past was not something he liked reflecting on.

There wasn't much. Jedi never had many possessions. There was a photo album, which he glanced at momentarily. Most of the pictures were of him and Anakin. He paused to look at one, taken weeks before…well. He and Anakin were both grinning into the camera—it was obviously taken for the press. Anakin's hand was on his shoulder.

He closed it and flung it behind him.

He continued looking until he found what he'd been looking for all along—his lightsaber. It was a little dusty, and the handle was more worn than he remembered, but it was his.

And there was Anakin's.

Built to look like his, but different. The handle had melted slightly, when…And before that, too, it had been different.

He placed it in his other pocket.

For luck.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so I haven't updated since...um, mid-May? And I feel really terrible about it. I just never got around to posting. I'm really, really, REALLY sorry. If anyone is still reading this, I have this and the next chapter written. I should have time to post again on Saturday. Reviews are always appreciated--I don't think I quite got around to replying to the last batch, but I WIL do that as soon as possible. **

**Chapter 6 **

Luke found Vader after only a few minutes of searching. He'd felt drawn to the man, somehow, by some unseen force.

The man was standing in the middle of a wide circle, gazing at a blank screen. Vader turned to face Luke, and he almost wished he hadn't come. But it was too late for that, now, and he ignored the shivers running down his spine as he stepped forward cautiously.

"Hello," he said uncertainly, shuffling his feet.

"Hello, Luke," Vader acknowledged him simply, before turning away and ignoring him.

Luke bit his lip and summoned all the courage he could find, taking a few tentative towards the imposing figure. Vader was hunched over a screen covered in letters that Luke couldn't read, but he didn't appear to be looking at it.

Luke stood about a foot behind Vader, pulse racing. He disagreed with Leia; he didn't really believe that there was anything to fear. But it was hard to avoid being nervous around this…thing, whatever he was. He was a giant monster of a man, if he even _was _a man, and he looked like he belonged in storybooks or legends, not real-life, right here.

"Where is your sister?" Vader said, his metallic voice grating, "Why have you come alone?"

Luke spoke before he thought. "Leia's scared of you. She thinks you're gonna kill us."

He stepped back as soon as the words left his mouth, unconsciously afraid that by _saying _it, he would make it true.

To his surprise, nothing happened. Vader paused, staring stiffly downwards, and the only sound that came from him was his breathing. But Luke didn't feel any change in the atmosphere, no sign of impending danger. Vader swiveled in his chair. "And why does she think that I would do a thing like that?" he asked mildly.

Here Luke hesitated. No matter what he thought, it was impossible to be really _sure _of whether Vader was good or bad. But really, the man just seemed so inviting, and there wasn't any reason why he shouldn't…he thought Vader was saying something, but he wasn't quite sure.

"I should tell you why my sister won't see you," Luke said dully, a strange feeling in the back of his mind that he'd heard something like this just a second before…but he knew he hadn't said anything, and he didn't remember Vader saying anything…

"Leia says you killed Obi-Wan," Luke finally said, stopping abruptly.

Vader turned away from him, his enormous figure stark and imposing against the dull whites and greys of the rest of the room. "Death is no more than Kenobi would deserve," he said sharply, agitation causing him to move from leg to leg and tug at his cape.

"What did he do?" Luke asked, desperately curious but doing his best to keep his voice calm.

Vader stilled instantly, facing away. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is responsible for the death of my wife. He kidnapped my children. He destroyed my body beyond any use. I didn't always look like this, you know," Vader added, bringing a gloved hand up to touch his face.

Luke was startled. His first thought was, _Vader had a family?_ This was followed in a tidal wave of foreign emotions—disbelief, doubt, and anger all poured into Luke at once and he felt like a bottle close to bursting. Life on Tatooione had given him little experience with dealing in things like this, and he struggled for footing in the conversation. "Obi-Wan always seemed so nice…are you sure it wasn't someone else?" He said finally.

"I'm sure," Vader boomed threateningly.

Luke stood quietly where he was, contemplating this. It seemed unlikely; but then, why would Vader lie to him?

The door opened, hissing air, and Luke jumped. He turned and saw Leia. She glared at him, but it didn't have quite the effect she wanted—the yards of black fabric that hung over her body rendered her almost laughable.

Vader turned instantly. "Ah. Leia," he said, sounding almost happy to see her, "We were just speaking about you."

Leia was scared, Luke could tell, but she was better at hiding it than he was. She strode confidently towards her brother and Vader, stopping beside Luke and looking defiantly at the enormous black giant before her. Luke could see, though, that she was slightly pale, and he could feel her shaking as she stood close to him.

Luke felt Leia take a deep breath as she stepped forward until she was just a foot from Vader. "I just wondered," she said. "Where we were going."

"We are going to see the Emperor," Vader told her unhesitantly.

"The Emperor?"

"Yes," Vader said, "The Emperor. Have you not heard of him?"

Luke wished he could grab Leia and tell her to lie, lie lie lie, but evidently she didn't get the message, because after a brief pause, she said, "No."

And when Vader laughed, Luke began to have the annoying feeling that this conversation, if that's what it was, had gone past the point of making any sense. At least, _he _certainly didn't have the slightest idea what was going on.

Vader laughed. "You mean Obi-Wan hasn't said anything about it? I was so sure he would have told you everything. You mean he hasn't been telling you his exact opinion on the shitty state of the galaxy and how everything's gone to hell? He _has _changed."

Leia wrinkled her nose at Vader's swearing—Obi-Wan hated swearing, he said it was uncivilized and vulgar. "You mean you knew Obi-Wan?" Leia asked. Luke braced himself for the explanation Vader was going to give her—Leia would hate it, she didn't believe Obi-Wan could do anything wrong.

But Vader didn't tell Leia any of the things he'd told Luke. He just said, "Yes. Once."

Leia nodded. "Okay. Hey, can I go? I'm pretty tired."

"Yes," Vader allowed, "rest."

Luke watched in stunned disbelief as Leia glided down the hallway. She had just disappeared around a corner when he felt something cold and hard on his shoulder. He shuddered at the uncomfortable situation, and pivoted on the spot. Vader's hand was on his shoulder.

"Luke," the man boomed in his great, sonorous voice, "What do you know about the Force?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan hated going into Mos Eisley. He hated the smell of it, a mixture of sewage and animals. He hated the people who fought and killed on the streets and he hated the way the sand piled up around the buildings. And yet, here he was, heading into town for the second time in as many days. If he was going to be able to do anything for Luke and Leia, he would need a real ship. As it was, he didn't even have his landspeeder—Vader must have taken it. He had made the walk into town before; and it had taken about two hours. He had been walking for half an hour, and he was already miserable. His face was raw and stinging, and he was _sure _he felt a blister forming on his left foot. His mouth was dry and parched, and he was painfully hot inside his robes. Add to that the still lingering pain in his face, back, and abdomen from whatever Vader had done to him last night. He felt he was on the verge of collapsing with every step he took. Frequent stops to drink from his canteen full of water sustained him, but barely.

A beeping from his pocket told him that he had a call. He pulled out his commlink, and was relieved to see it was Leia. Her face was ashen and scared, but Obi-Wan was really just grateful she was unharmed.

"Hello there, Leia," he said, his eyes flicking back and forth between the commlink and Leia's face, "Did you manage to find out where Vader is taking you?"

"Yeah," she said matter-of-factly, "he just told me."

"Did he," Obi-Wan said grimly, "well, if he keeps making mistakes like that, this won't be too much trouble at all. Where _is _he taking you, Leia?"

"The Emperor? That's all he said."

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw to stop himself from shouting a number of obscenities. It was something he had always attempted to refrain from doing in front of the children. The Emperor. Providing he even managed to make his way through the innumerable security measures surrounding Palpatine, it looked like he would have to fight his way through the two most powerful Sith Lords in the galaxy to get the twins back.

"Obi-Wan?"

He shook his head. "Luke—Leia, where's Luke? Is he alright?"

She hesitated. "I think he's okay. He's actually with Vader right now."

Obi-Wan tightened involunatily. "What are they doing."

She looked down. "I don't know."

Obi-Wan continued driving for a minute, neither of them speaking. When he finally looked down again, Leia was crying.

"Look—don't cry, Leia, I am very sorry." Leia looked up at him tearfully. "I didn't mean to get us into this mess, and I promise I'll get us out of it. Just hang on, Leia, it'll all be better."

She believed him, and he almost thought it would be better if she didn't. "Okay," she said. "Do you need me to do anything else?"

He couldn't make her do anything else, not now. Not like this. "Just get some rest," he told her.

She nodded, and, without saying anything, ended the conversation. The screen turned to static.

By the time Obi-Wan arrived in Mos Eisley, the twin suns had begun to set. The city was basked in a pinkish light, and a slight breeze drifted through the streets.

Obi-Wan stood uncertainly at the end of a row of shops. He had never needed anything other than basic supplies in Mos Eisley, and he had no idea where to begin. Was it even possible to find a ship in Mos Eisley? He would prefer not to have to barter for a ride with one of the numerous smugglers who were always docked here. If worse came to worse, he would make his way to another town. Mos Espa, maybe.

A gust of sand took Obi-Wan out of his dream-like stupor. He began to make his way down the street, glancing into shop windows as he went. Nothing looked promising at first; most of what he saw were either the supply shops he routinely visited or bars.

He made it to the end of the row and still hadn't found anything. Anxiety took over, and he began striding more purposefully down the second alley of shops. About halfway through, he glimpsed something that looked like it might have potential. He halted and turned where he was, almost crying with relief at what he saw.

It was an open lot, set between two shops. A toydarian hovered in place above it. And the sandy lot was entirely covered with ships. Even from a distance, Obi-Wan could see that they were old, and some of them didn't look like they would run well, but he didn't have time to be choosy.

Obi-Wan tried to remain as dignified as possible as he bolted towards the lot at a speed somewhere between running and flat out sprinting. "Excuse me, are these ships for sale?" he yelled at the toydarian, who fluttered over to Obi-Wan as soon as he spoke.

"That depends on how much you have to offer," the alien replied slyly.

"I have a landspeeder," Obi-Wan said. "It's almost brand new, in perfect working condition. And I have—well, I have a holovision…" The landspeeder was three years old, but he didn't use it _that _often, and as far as he knew a new model hadn't come out.

"The holovision I am not interested in," the toydarian said dismissively, "and for a landspeeder I could only give you a very old ship. There must be something else."

"There _isn't,_" Obi-Wan said, doing his best not to sound desperate. He didn't even bother attempting a mind trick, dimly recalling that toydarians were immune. "But if you'll come take a look at the speeder, I'm sure you'll agree that it's a very fine machine."

The toydarian agreed to take a look, and so Obi-Wan lead him back down the streets he had traveled only moments before. He hurried along, barely looking up. It was much lighter when he arrived, wasn't it? Some of the stores had lights on now, and the suns had almost entirely disappeared below the horizon. He needed to _hurry._

"Well, this is it," Obi-Wan said impatiently, waving his hand at the speeder.

The toydarian considered for a moment. He disappeared underneath the speeder, and, with Obi-Wan's permission, stepped inside and tested it briefly by running it about one-hundred yards along the sand. "It appears to be in good condition, but it is still not very valuable. The best I am willing to give you is an older ship. It was made about ten years ago; it still works, but not very well."

"I'll take it," Obi-Wan said immediately. If there had been time, he would have stayed and looked for something better, but as it was…

Twenty minutes later, the suns were completely gone and Obi-Wan was in his own ship, preparing to exit the Tatooinian atmosphere.

**Sorry again! Next update should be Saturday or sooner.**


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